Week 49

Most of Kenny's letter this week was answering family questions.  Below is some news on his health that he asked us to pass on.  Thanks for your continued love, support and prayers!

Lynn




Transfers are on Tuesday, but I'm going to be staying here in Hope Mills. These will probably be my last 6 weeks here, and then I'll probably be off to a new area. Elder Simmons and I are really happy we're staying together for one more transfer.

Alright, I know you're anxious to hear about my health, so naturally I saved it for last. The blood tests came back, and showed nothing was abnormal. (Except my cholesterol is just a hair high... daggone hushpuppies. But even that isn't a logical factor.) The internist says he knows of nothing else to do, but he does know that it's not a rheumatic disease or disorder. I talked again with Dr. Smalley, the area medical advisor for the mission (he's an orthopedic surgeon by practice), and he reaffirmed that the internist was correct. ... I'm kind of just ranting so I'll cut to the chase. Basically if things don't start improving in the next three weeks... I'm coming home. Dr. Smalley says that the Lord doesn't want my mission to mess up my health for the rest of my life. Since it's just getting worse, he says that I will need to try to take care of it in Utah. So these three weeks are essentially what determines if I'm staying. Thank you for fasting for me... please keep me in your prayers. I'm doing the best I can to let the muscles in my back relax, and Elder Simmons is going to be helping me, but I have to admit I'm a little skeptical about it working. By myself, that is. I know that the Lord's will will be done. I don't really know what He would want me to do more than be a full-time missionary right now, but I have definitely learned through my mission that He works in some super mysterious ways. I'm going to be praying and trying hard to have faith and doing my very best to heal up, but with the attitude "Thy will be done." Unlike the last time I was worried I might go home (when Pres. Cotterell gave me that priesthood blessing), I feel comforted and at peace. I hope I get to serve longer, but I am proud to say I don't have any regrets... except I could be better at writing in my journal. I'm working on it.

Spiritual thought for the day: Moroni 7:33.

"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me."

I know that that is true.
Elder Schank